A Bunny Can Go Savage
by Zentauria
Summary: [AU] Nick's and Judy's blueberry plan goes awry when Bellwether checks her ammunition and has a Night Howler pellet left after all. But neither do things go as planned for the sheep. Nick makes a desperate choice - with serious consequences...
1. Beast

**Hello everyone! This is Zentauria speaking. I'm fandom-jumping. Zootopia is about the only Disney movie to ever give me fanfiction ideas, and I'm starting out with this one.**

 **I noticed that Zootopia spawned a lot of Alternative Endings in which Nick goes savage after all, so I decided to turn the tables and explore what happens if Judy goes savage instead. Have a fun read!**

* * *

Okay, everything's prepared. With Judy being critically injured, fox and bunny had to improvise, but now things seem to finally go their way. The two friends are stuck in a pit, but that problem can certainly be remedied as soon as they have Bellwether's confession recorded.

Judy sits on the ground to favor her leg. Nick considers getting up from the same, but he could swear he broke several bones after being rammed into the hole. But that's okay, if everything goes according to plan, they will be able to rest soon.

* * *

But unfortunately, things never go as planned. The plan is that Bellwether shoots a blueberry at Nick and the fox pretends to go savage, so Judy can tape the sheep's gloating.

They didn't plan for Bellwether to check the ammunition.

"Nice try!" the mayor praises sardonically, calmly switching the blueberry with a Night Howler capsule. The hearts of the animals beneath her skip a beat in unison. That's not how it's supposed to go!

Hastily, Nick grabs his friend and drags her to the rim of the pit. He jumps and reaches for the edge, but foxes aren't made for jumping. No chance!

Next to him, Judy gathers all her remaining strength. The wound in her leg burns like fire, but she can't let it bother her. Too much is depending on this. She leaps and, sure enough, gets a hold of the edge. But instantly, one of Bellwether's rams is on the spot and pushes her back into the pit.

"Carrots!" Nick shouts and tries to catch the bunny, with limited success. He can slow her fall, however, stopping it is another matter. Judy crashes to the ground, pain shoots up her leg and her knees buckle. A whimper escapes her before she regains control of herself.

"Are you okay?" Nick's voice is painted by worry as he helps her back to her feet and supports her.

"Sure I am," Judy presses through gritted teeth, then she lifts her head to stare daggers at Bellwether. "Whatever you're planning to do, you won't get away with it!"

"Oh, I will," the sheep retorts gleefully and waves the Night Howler gun. Nick's ears flatten. Both the weapon and the habit of his friend to make things worse are not helping to maintain his usual calmness. Bellwether laughs. "Since you two bothered to switch the ammo, I assume you already know about my plans?"

Nick unobtrusively nudges Judy and takes satisfied notice of her readying the carrot pen.

"Shoot me and look forward to the evening news announcing that a savage fox killed the hero officer Judy Hopps," he suggests dryly.

"Why yes!" Bellwether applauds, but Nick's not done yet.

"And then you'll poison as many predators as necessary to convince the prey to chase predators out of the city."

"Clever fox."

"It won't work!" Judy objects fiercely, but the mayor obviously holds another opinion.

"Fear always works!" she exclaims and raises her weapon. Nick flinches when he finds himself confronted with the barrel. In a split-second, he makes his decision: He yanks Judy around, who squeaks with shock. Bellwether's confident smirk falls off her face as a long ear of the bunny is tinted blue.

"What...?" Judy manages, then the rest of the question drowns in a gasp.

"I'm sorry, Carrots," Nick mutters contritely and pries the carrot pen from her tensed-up paws. "I'll think of something."

"Coward!" the mayor shrieks furiously.

"You're the one to talk," Nick immediately returns the mail. "Who's so afraid of predators that she thinks she has to ban them all?"

The red fox is still holding his friend tight, who is squirming in his arms. "Come on, Carrots!" he spurs her on. "It's you who claimed a bunny can't go savage!"

He can't fool himself, though. He's completely aware that Judy is condemned to lose this fight. He just refuses to let go of her.

He has bought some time, and thus a higher chance of getting through this ordeal. A savage Judy is not half as dangerous to Nick as he would be to her. Everything left is hoping that the sheep doesn't whip out another capsule of Night Howler serum. If Bellwether comes up with the idea to shoot him as well, the result will be the same in the end. But Nick took every single pellet from the case with him. The one which hit Judy might have been a prototype, there shouldn't be too many of these, right?

Talking about Judy, the bunny suddenly hisses and digs her razor-sharp teeth into the flesh of Nick's forearm. The fox howls in pain and his reflexes kick in. He shakes Judy off and the bunny rolls into a field of artificial grass making up a part of the exhibit they are trapped in.

She doesn't stay in there for long. Hopping on three legs, she breaks from between the blades and pounces on Nick once again, who quickly leaps out of the way and escapes her claws.

Classic case of luck in unluckiness. Judy's injury hampers her considerably. Nick knows he won't endure this forever. Judy is a trained police officer, and while he isn't a bad shot himself, she can outlast him anytime. But he has room, and he is going to use it. So the fox whips out his smartphone. That bunny sure makes him do things...

"You owe me one..." he mumbles and does something he never even dreamed he'd do: He dials 911. Then he has to dodge the combat bunny, and while he runs criss-cross through the exhibit, he finally finds the time to put the phone to his ear.

"Hello, this is..." sounds a female voice, but Nick isn't willing to listen til the end.

"There is a savage animal in the Natural History Museum!" he interrupts and almost trips over a deer puppet on display. Just in time, he regains his foothold and throws himself sideways, but Judy rushes headlong into the figurine. The deer falls over and is shredded to pieces in mere seconds. Nick uses these seconds to put some distance between himself and the murderous bunny. The glimpse of what is going to happen, should he fall victim to these claws, does not agree with him. His own heartbeat resonates loudly in his ears, his breathing quickens with a mixture of strain, fear and rage. "Did you hear that?"

"Oh, really, Mister Wilde?" Bellwether suddenly chimes in again. Her voice is chiding. "I actually thought you're decent enough not to misuse emergency numbers for telephone pranks. But what did I expect from a fox?"

Nick draws up his flews. That sheep has spoken loud enough to be heard at the other end of the line, and just cut down his credibility by miles.

He jumps over a chute in the ground which represents a river. Blood oozes from the deep bite wound in his arm, his fur is soaked to the limit now. He barely feels it.

"A fox, Mister...?"

"Wilde. Nicholas Wilde, and yes, I'm a fox, why? It's the police's task to judge objectively and free of stereotypes, right? There is a savage animal in the Natural History Museum, for heaven's sake!"

"Oh, don't you want to inform the ZPD about the animal's species?" Bellwether continues and Nick has to seriously try and keep himself from growling. He can't say 'rabbit', right? "An ocelot!" he shouts into the phone.

"Oh, sure! That's why it doesn't attack me!" Bellwether enjoys the verbal contest. It's rare, but Nick knows he's going to lose this one. But there is one last saving throw.

"Listen, the sheep who is constantly butting in is the mastermind behind the case. She's safe and sound and just waits for me to get torn apart. So will you _please_ be so kind and send some forces over here?"

This time, Bellwether says nothing. Nick is back in control.

He doesn't have the time to be happy about it, though. Pain flashes up his back and he yelps, dropping his smartphone. Judy's teeth sink deeply into his bushy tail and Nick jumps at the bunny. With her claws, she tears at his shirt and he feels some scratches on his chest, but he manages to pull Judy's jaws apart and save his tail before she gets a chance to bite it clean off. Then he simply drops onto the former meter maid and presses her head into the sand comprising a part of the floor. She struggles and snaps at him, but he holds her tight.

"Don't you finally have enough, Carrots? Am I tasting so delicious that you have to take a bite out of me _twice_?" Nick doesn't regret pulling her into the line of fire. But isn't it about time for the police to show up? The headquarters are right across the street!

He perks up his ears when one of the rams steps to Bellwether. He's wearing the ZPD's uniform and the fox senses he's about to hear something he's not gonna like.

"I called the precinct and told them that the museum is silent. They won't send anybody," the ram reports and the very instant, Nick's ears lie flat against his head once again. This just can't be happening!

"Very good," he hears Bellwether's delighted voice and growls in frustration. Staring at the squirming bunny beneath him, he shifts his weight to get it off his injured arm. The wound is slowly starting to affect him after all.

His thigh bumps into something hard and he angles for Judy's pocket. Her smartphone. And it doesn't have a lock!

As unobtrusively as possible, Nick opens the contacts and finds a whole lot of numbers for H. Hopps, Hopps, Hopps. Judy's siblings? But there are other numbers as well, names of police officers from the Central district. He can't help a quiet "That's Carrots for you." The overzealous bunny has several numbers of several officers saved at her phone, and the one of Chief Bogo is found quickly.

Nick is just about to call the cape buffalo, but changes his mind halfway. Bellwether would butt in again, so he hastily types an SMS instead.

 _Count reason for savage animals. Tricked in NaturalHiMu. Hops poisoned. Need help._

The fox has no time to get upset about the auto-correction. He adds Clawhauser to the recipients, then presses the sending button. Hopefully one of the two is hanging over the phone now and gets what the message is actually supposed to mean. Nick is running out of strength.

Judy beneath him rears up and the fox slips off. Without thinking, he kicks at her and both of them slide along the ground in opposing directions. Nick scrambles to his feet as panic releases some last reserves, and flees behind a plastic stone. His whole body trembles and bleeds from several wounds, but he wouldn't even dream of giving up. When Judy shows up on the stone and snaps at his ear, he ducks out of the way and takes a dive into the grass field. Then he turns around, goes down on all fours – and hisses.

He's not sure if it's gonna work. He has absolutely no idea which kind of effect Night Howlers actually have. But if the bunny's instincts are still intact, it may be enough.

And indeed Judy hesitates, and Nick starts to hope again. But alas, cheered too soon. Judy recovers in a matter of seconds and returns to pouncing on the fox, her face contorted into a snarl. Nick sidesteps and kicks her injured leg.

The bunny screams. But it's nothing like you'd imagine a scream. It's an utterly feral sound which makes Nick's fur stand on end. That's not the scream of his friend, it's the scream of a _beast_. Even Bellwether covers her ears.

"That was not a nice move, Wilde!"

Nick pants, but there is always breath for a witty retort. "Are you talking to me?" He pauses to sidestep Judy once again. "If so, will you kindly repeat that? … There is something about being chased around by … a savage bunny … which kinda renders one unable to … pay attention."

Well, at least he can make the sheep boil with rage, if nothing else. But the hunt takes its toll on him. Nick's dodging becomes less and less stable. He slips and falls to the ground, Judy on his back. He shakes her off, but not for long. It only takes seconds for her to sit on his back again and he feels sharp teeth penetrating his neck. He rolls over, but it's no use. With teeth and claws, Judy latches onto him and Nick yowls. So that's how it ends?

Then, all of a sudden, Judy goes slack. Nick remains on the floor, panting, gasping for air, and only now he becomes aware of the turmoil going on around him. He can hear Bellwether frantically talking to someone, then there is Chief Bogo's deep voice. He's unable to catch their meanings. Darkness seizes his senses, but he can't let go just yet.

Judy's weigh disappears. A female arctic wolf helps Nick to his feet, and the fox blinks a few times to clear his vision. A lion carries Judy, the bunny has a tranquilizer dart stuck in her behind. Above, the mayor discusses with the chief, trying to shove the blame off herself. The cape buffalo doesn't seem convinced, the whole scene speaks for its own.

As soon as Nick is lifted out of the pit, the chief turns to him. "How are you feeling, Wilde?"

"Whacked by a killer bunny."

"This is not the time for jokes, Wilde! Do you think you can make a statement on this case?"

"Chief, you're not going to believe a fox, are you?" Bellwether chips in, but Bogo's scowl silences her.

"He is a key witness."

At this point, Nick bursts into laughter. It's relieving. All the tension of the last minutes fall off him, it's really and finally over.

"What's so funny, fox?" Chief Bogo grumbles and Nick wipes the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"I just thought that exchange sounded familiar," he rubs into the chief's face and the buffalo scoffs.

"You're stretching my patience, Wilde!"

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I don't need to make a statement, someone else had already been so kind to do it for me."

He pulls the carrot pen from his pocket. The device miraculously survived the fight and plays the last recording clearly. Bellwether has shock written all over her face.

"What..."

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart," Nick announces with a grin, which slips off his face the instant fatigue washes over him and his legs refuse to function. The arctic wolf from before catches him. "Cop is a stressful job..."

"Take a rest, Wilde," Chief Bogo advises, although it comes out as an order. "We'll take care of everything from here."

"Officer Hopps, too?"

Are Nick's eyes playing a prank on him or is there a smile spreading on the chief's lips? "Officer Hopps, too."

Satisfied that he has finished his mission, Nick finally gives in to the tempting darkness. He's hurting all over, but for the first time in what seems forever, he feels like he is in good paws. And the thing about Judy will work out. Nothing to worry.

* * *

 **Translations have that nasty habit of sounding stiff and decidedly unnatural... Have to work on that.**

 **There are two more chapters, dealing with the aftermath of this disaster. It'll take a while to translate them, though. A looong while. But I'll see if I should bother at all, it wouldn't make sense if people dislike it. But I hope that's not the case and I managed to give you guys a good read! (^-^)v**

 **Peace out, people!**


	2. Emotions and Reason

**Mind? Blown. I didn't expect that much of a feedback, but I guess that's what you get for joining the Disney fandom. ^^"**

 **Anyway, I thank you people so much for all the reviews and favs and follows and I really don't know what to do with myself! It gave my motivation a serious boost, I ended up translating so much faster than I had thought I would. It's overwhelming, really!**

* * *

When Nick regains consciousness, the first thing he feels is his throbbing skull, albeit not painfully so. His thoughts are a sluggish river, it takes a while to kick-start his brain.

Question number one: Where is he? In a hospital. Neck, chest, arm and tail are bandaged heavily, but that was to be expected. A needle has been planted into his uninjured arm, the IV connected to it constantly supplies him with medical stuff whose effect he'd rather not know.

Groaning, he sits up and shakes his head.

"Nick!" a voice penetrates the fog in his brain. He recognizes it. It belongs to...

"Finnick?"

"So you didn't forget me, that's good to know," the short-tempered desert fox states and Nick blinks, still trying his hardest to get rid of the idleness befalling his senses.

"How long was I out?"

"Two days. You lost a truckload of blood."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Nick sighs. He raises his paw to scratch an itch at his neck, but winces as the needle gets dislodged in his veins. "Ouch!"

"That's what you look like," Finnick agrees. "You need a drink?"

Automatically, Nick licks his flews, which are as dry as the sand in Sahara Square. "You bet."

Finnick, who has been sitting in a chair up to now, stands up and leaves the room. Nick stays behind, alone, and the very instant, his thoughts fly back to the museum. How is Judy doing? What happened after he went out like a light? He probably has to ask Finnick if he wants to know, but he doubts that the tiny desert fox would be pleased.

Finnick returns with a water bottle, which is directly emptied by Nick. The red fox doesn't even bother with a glass, although there is indeed one readied on a bedside table. He places the bottle right next to it.

"Thanks for coming, Finnick."

"That's what friends do," the fennec shrugs and another wave of gratefulness rushes through Nick's body.

"So, how are you doing?"

"Better than you."

Nick can't help but grin about that. "Not that much of a feat, I'd claim."

Finnick returns the grin. "I look better than you as well."

Nick eyed himself. Bandages and a white shirt in best hospital-fashion. "Well, that cloth is actually very stylish, don't you think?" he announces easily and Finnick laughs.

"Maybe you can keep it as a souvenir!"

"Nah, I'd rather not. What if a patient is left without a cloth to wear in the end?" Nick grins his typical half-lidded grin while waiting for his friend to calm down. "I missed you, big guy."

"Don't you dare, Nick!" Finnick immediately explodes at the nickname, but the red fox remains unimpressed.

"Really, I mean it."

Finnick huffs. "I had that notion that you're rather fond of that bunny."

"Jealous?" Nick teases and the desert fox crosses his arms.

"Not at all."

"So I can have her?" the red fox keeps joking, but then he suddenly becomes serious. "How is she anyway? And the other Night Howler victims?"

"I don't know. They're all quarantined, but according to the ZNN news, most of the scientists in Zootopia work on an antidote."

Nick nods his understanding. He had hoped progress would be faster, but you can't expect miracles. Scientists are scientists, not magicians.

A nurse enters the room, a pig clad in a white coat. She smiles friendly.

"You've woken, Mister Wilde. I'm glad! How are you feeling?"

"Just the way one feels when having been gnawed away at by a combat bunny. That would correspondent with getting run over three times by a truck."

"That's... a picturesque description," the nurse notes a bit perplexedly.

"The more picturesque, the better the comprehension. And I thought you want to know about my state?"

The nurse is struck speechless for a moment. "Yes... of course."

Finnick almost falls off his chair with laughter. "Don't mind, my friend here has that kind of effect on other animals!"

"I see... May I ask who you are, Mister...?"

Finnick falls silent from one second to the next. "No."

Nick grins. "Just call him Finnick. His true name is too embarrassing in his opinion."

It's obvious that the nurse feels uncomfortable between the two foxes. "Very well... Mister Finnick. Unfortunately, I have to ask you to leave. You can stay at the waiting room, but I need to check on Mister Wilde. It may take a while."

"I see." Finnick gets up. "Don't you get torn to shreds again, or I'll do that for you!" he bids his farewell.

"Sure," Nick smirks. "I'll let you know."

He waves his bandaged, not needled arm, then the door snaps shut and Nick slumps back into his cushion, bracing himself for the torture to come. "So, what are we waiting for?"

* * *

There is nothing worse than lying around in a hospital after an unsettling case and having nothing to do. Every two days, Finnick comes to visit his friend, he even brings clothing and some money. But the other days Nick is tossing and turning in his bed, his thoughts revolving around Judy.

He can't avoid it. After all, pulling bunnies into a bullet is not an everyday experience, and that certain bunny is... was... the only one to ever believe in him. She trusted him. And he turned her into a beast.

Nick reaches for the remote and switches on the TV hanging in a corner of the room. He zaps through the channels and catches at a comedy, but the humor wouldn't agree with him at all. He doesn't even feel like watching TV, but right now, everything about the world outside is better than the world inside his head. The world which doesn't have anything to offer apart from a bloodthirsty Judy.

Nick's aware that, strictly logically, he's done the right thing. The fact that both of them are alive proves that. However, it helps his conscience only in limited amounts.

Yes, Nick Wilde's conscience is back, years after the fox has forgotten what it feels like. Living on the dark side of the law, abstract things like morals only tie him down. But Judy showed him he can be more than a con artist. She wanted him as a partner. A fox as a police offer, now let that sink for a moment! For the common animal, that's a one-liner.

And why not? Sure, when Judy asked him, Nick didn't hesitate for a split-second. But now, he has his doubts. He's not the bravest fox, and he knows it. Life-and-death-decisions are totally not his thing, and he wouldn't want to get into a situation akin to the one at the Natural History Museum ever again. A situation in which he's forced to sacrifice a friend.

The closing credits flicker over the screen and Nick switches channels once again, directly into the ZNN news. Researches on an antidote against the Night Howler serum are still running at full blast. Details on how the case was solved are few as the ZPD is still gathering data. So far, there are only information on Bellwether's involvement and that the case was cracked by two civilians. Then there is an announcement about the victims' identities and Nick switches off the TV. He can barely keep himself from throwing the remote into the screen. Is the whole world plotting against him?

Vigorously, he thrusts the blanket to his feet and gets up. He leaves the room and aimlessly marches along the hallway, until he finds himself in the patient kitchen. Huge amounts of water bottles are standing around, or one can make some tea or coffee. The room is empty save for Nick, and the fox decides on an apple tea. He turns on the electric kettle and waits.

Actually, he can walk. Not far, admittedly. He doesn't sleep well and his body is still way behind on blood production, so he's constantly dizzy. But if he buries his cynicism for a few minutes and asks for permission to leave the building, there would be no reason to reject him, right?

He wants to visit Judy. Make sure she is well, if you can talk about being well under that kind of circumstances. He could just... jump into a taxi and go... where exactly?

"Argh!"

Nick pulls his ears in frustration. He has no idea where Judy might be! The bunny told him she had been visiting Emmitt Otterton, but that was after their argument at the press conference. The world _really_ is plotting against him!

Armed with apple tea, Nick returns to his room. He almost drops his mug after opening the door – in a way too tiny chair, a certain ill-tempered cape buffalo is sitting and huffs at the newcomer.

"Don't strike roots, Wilde! I don't have the whole day!"

"I do," the fox deadpans and leans against the door to shut it with his back. "And I wouldn't mind switching places."

"Bad conscience?" the chief guesses and Nicks mug lands with a louder bang on the table than actually healthy. Else, he wouldn't let anything show.

"Needles, boredom, horrible food... You need more reasons to flee this place?"

The chief's expression is unreadable. "Don't even try to feign disinterest, Wilde. Every officer is rattled after such a case. Especially if it is their first one."

"Maybe you should put your glasses on, you're mistaking me for one of your cops."

Bogo's nostrils flare as the chief breathes deeply and fights for self-control. Then he pulls a yellow paper from his shirt pocket which is strikingly familiar to Nick. He unfolds it and reads – the buffalo has handed him an application form for the police academy. The fox re-folds the document and puts it on the bedside table. He's in no mood whatsoever to deal with _that_ now.

"What do you say, Wilde?"

"I'll think about it."

"Don't take too much time." The chief stands up and makes his way to the door. In the middle of the room, he turns around another time. "This may interest you as well." He gets a note from his shirt pocket and Nick receives it indifferently. Then, Chief Bogo takes his leave.

Nick sits down on his bed and takes a look at the note. His eyes widen once he acknowledges its content: the address of a quarantine station in Savanna Central. It doesn't say exactly that the Night Howler victims are there, but why else should Chief Buffalo Butt give him that?

Nick hurries to put some decent clothes on and persuades a nurse to give him the permission to go out for two hours. The train takes half an hour to the facility, but once he spots the hordes of animals mobbing the quarantine station, the families and reporters... he turns on his heels and goes. He's not ready to expose himself to all that commotion. Not yet.

* * *

Two weeks after his admission, Nick is officially discharged from the hospital. With renewed energy and way too much caffeine rushing through his system, he strikes out once again for the quarantine facility. The hubbub of the last days has calmed down and the red fox doesn't have any trouble entering. Only the odd predator inhabits the hallway, watching over their loved ones. Nick wanders around the station, searching for Judy. When he turns a corner, he almost runs into an army of rabbits crowding a certain cell. Good grief, those aren't...?

"Hey, little guy!" Nick approaches the nearest bunny, an eight, maybe nine-year-old. "Your name doesn't happen to be Hopps?"

"It does, wh..." The bunny breaks off halfway through the sentence once he turns around and spots Nick. His eyes widen to the size of plates and he takes a step back, knocking over another kid, and another and another. Nick observes the bunny domino in disbelief, unsure if he should laugh. In the end, he decides on a facepalm.

"Mommy, there is a fox!" a voice comes from the middle of the tumble accident.

"It's fine, Holly, I'm sure he's nice. Just like uncle Gideon!"

"See, Holly?"

"No reason to panic."

"Can I have a pastry?"

"Me too, me too!"

"No, me first!"

Nick's ears fail to localize the sounds. When he tries, his head starts to ache, so he sets them back.

"Calm down, children!" a female voice raises above the clamor, perhaps the mother. "Stop confusing the gentlemammal!"

Gentlemammal? Now that's a first. Nick is usually the guy, the fox or the crook. He's never heard anything implying a higher opinion than that applied to his person.

The noise slowly dies down and an elderly bunny plods up to him through the ocean of bunnies.

"Forgive the commotion. My children don't mean any harm, but not all of them had to do with foxes so far."

"Never mind, I'm used to that kind of reaction. Are you the mother of Judy Hopps?"

"You know my daughter?"

Nick rubs his head. "We've been working on the Night Howler case together."

A smile spreads on the female bunny's face. "So you must be Nicholas Wilde?"

"In flesh and fur."

"Pleased to meet you! My name is Bonnie Hopps. Follow me, you must be here for Judy."

With that, the bunny turns around and skillfully leads Nick through her kids. They join a rabbit who introduces himself as Stu Hopps, Judy's father. He stands right in front of a plexiglass wall separating the cell inhabitant from the rest of the world. Nick's heart seem to tighten inside his chest when he sees his friend in such a state. She hops about the cell on four legs, then jumps against the wall all of a sudden and hisses. Every single ear is drooping.

"My brother ate a _Midnicampum_ _Holicithias_ once," Bonnie states, voice painted by sadness.

"A whatnow?" slips out of Nick's mouth.

"A Night Howler," Stu explains. "Since then we take care that our children don't get too near to the flowers. Oh, my dear little Judy!"

"The effect wore off soon," Bonnie continues, "but there is no prospect of an end here."

A little bunny girl steps up and puts her paw against the glass plate. Judy starts at her, but the girl bravely remains at her spot. "Come back soon, big sister."

It's a heart-wrenching sight. Nick stands next to the bunny and places a gentle paw on her head. She doesn't flinch. "Judy will be back," Nick promises with a steadier voice than his current state actually allows. But that's what he's good at – hiding his feelings.

"Really?" the little bunny asks.

"Really really."

She nods and a smile lightens up her features. "Exactly! My big sister is strong!" she declares. "She's a hero!"

"She is."

In spite of himself, Nick cracks a faint smile. Behind him, Bonnie and Stu stand arm in arm, drawing comfort from each others' warmth. The smile doesn't last for long.

"All this shouldn't have happened..."

Suddenly, the little bunny presses herself against him. "Will you pick me up, uncle Nick?"

How...? Bunnies and their ears. Nick sighs, but ends up gathering the tiny creature in his arms anyway. "Like this?"

She nods.

"What's your name, little girl?"

"Emily."

"That's a good name."

"Sure, and I'm very proud of it!"

Another bunny kid scrambles towards Nick, a boy this time. "No fair! I want to be picked up, too!"

And pandemonium breaks out. Nick can't even count all the bunnies wanting to be picked up by him. He puts Emily down and backs off with flattened ears, until he bumps into the plexiglass. That's not the way he had imagined his visit to Judy!

"Children, behave!" Stu scolds and the two parents desperately try to reign in the herd. After a lot of protest and jostle, the bunny father turns around to Nick and advises: "I think you better get out of here."

The fox doesn't need to be told twice. He swiftly breaks through the horde of Hoppses and leaves the building in a hurry. Fresh air can be _so_ awesome!

Nick sighs. Being popular is almost as nasty as being unpopular. You never stop learning...

* * *

Although Nick already had at least four coffees that day, he searches for a Snarlbucks and buys the next one. At this rate, he's gonna be a caffeine-junkie in no time, but he doesn't feel like caring. The trip to the quarantine station has worn him out.

Lost in thought, he roams the streets of Zootopia and is surprised to find himself in front of the Natural History Museum. He hesitates. On one hand, he's in no mood to set even a single paw into the building where Judy lost her sanity and he almost his life. On the other hand, the place has a sort of morbid attraction.

He pulls his act together and enters the museum. The pit in which he had fought for his life has been sealed with a glass slab. The blood has been wiped away and the broken exhibits had been replaced. It looks like nothing had happened.

"Excuse me, are you Nicholas Wilde?" a voice rips him out of his observations and he whirls around. An antelope has materialized before his eyes.

"That's me," Nick answers warily. By now, too many animals know his name for his liking.

The antelope smiles warmly. "Will you come with me for a moment?"

The fox shrugs and accompanies the employee to a door, which reads 'STAFF ONLY'. The antelope disappears inside and returns with two smartphones in her hooves. Nick's eyes widen, it hasn't even crossed his mind that he could see those again.

"The cleaning squad found them. They're still fully functional, but of course, the power had run out," the antelope explains and Nick receives the phones gingerly. Judy's and his.

"Thank you very much."

"My pleasure. May I show you around?"

Nick shakes his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I just..." He gestures towards the pit and the antelope nods.

"I see. Have a good day."

Nick returns the farewell and makes his way to the exit. He wonders whether the Hopps family is still back at the quarantine station. He wants to return the phone. Besides, the thought is plaguing his conscience that he should have told Judy's parents what exactly had happened. They have the right to hear about it. To know his role in the loss of their daughter.

* * *

When Nick enters the facility this time, the number of bunnies has dwindled significantly. To be exact, Bonnie is the only one still standing there, ears droopy. It seems like Stu has withdrawn with the children.

"Missis Hopps?" Nick announces his presence and her ears shoot up instantly.

"Oh, Mister Wilde, you're back! And please, call me Bonnie."

The fox twitches an ear. "As you wish. I guess that would be Nick then."

The bunny smiles. Nick shoves a paw into his pocket and reveals Judy's smartphone. "This belongs to your daughter. It had been handed to me at the Natural History Museum and I figured you should have it." On second thought, he adds, "That thing saved my life."

"Then it did its job." Bonnie accepts the phone and pockets it. "There is something weighing on your mind, Nick," she states afterwards.

Nick glances at Judy, who is lying in a corner and appears to be sleeping. She radiates a deceptive sense of peace. It's so easy to see the old Judy in that rabbit...

The fox shakes his head and then drops to the floor unceremoniously. He gathers all his courage and starts, "At the museum, when Judy and I were trapped in that pit... Bellwether shot me. Judy was injured and I knew she wouldn't last two minutes if I went savage in there."

"So you used her as your shield," Bonnie figures out the rest. Nick's nerves are strung to the breaking point. How will the bunny react?

To his surprise, she's not angry. She doesn't turn on her heels and leave. Instead, she smiles sadly at him.

"Don't blame yourself. You did what you deemed reasonable. And I'd rather wait for the doctors to bring my daughter back than burying her." Bonnie turns to Judy. "It hurts to see her like this, but you did the right thing. It's hard to know that you pushed someone into a bullet, but in this case, the victim had the higher chance of survival, isn't it so?"

"Irony of fate," Nick remarks. "Thanks for your understanding."

Bonnie emits a sound which might have counted as a laugh if the circumstances were different. "Don't be stiff! You'll see, as soon as the scientists find the cure, everything will revert back to normal. Don't worry. And I'm sure that's easier said than done, but don't forget that nothing of this is your fault. The only one to blame is Dawn Bellwether. You helped to end it. Besides, Judy knew the risks of becoming a police officer. She won't resent you."

Nick senses that the conversation is over with this. "Thank you. It helped me plenty."

"Oh no, I thank you. It couldn't have been easy for you to tell me your story."

"You can say that again." The fox gets up and prepares to take his leave. "I would wish you a nice day, but it would be a bit out of place, considering the circumstances."

"You're right, unfortunately," Bonnie sighs. "Good bye, Nick."

"Good bye."

Nick turns around and exits the station. He feels considerable relief after his heart-to-heart with Bonnie. Emotions and reason don't always reconcile, but he knows he did the right thing. And if Bonnie knows that, too, then it will be fine.

* * *

 **A guest reviewer remarked on how there was no post-scene reaction from Judy and how it would justify only one chapter. Well, there are two characters, right? ^-^ (Gosh, I hope that doesn't sound offensive...)**

 **Judy is in for the third and last chapter. I thought it would be important to see Nick again, struggling with his decision and, as a consequence of him seeing in what kind of situation an officer may end up, far less enthusiastic about joining the police force. Yup, that's what I thought. I hope you weren't bored or something~**


	3. Partner

**And I'm back, third and last chapter in the luggage. Hope you didn't wait for too long~**

* * *

Hatred. It's everything Judy is able to feel. Hatred towards the world she perceives through a reddish haze. Hatred towards everything moving in that world. She would love nothing better than destroy it all.

But she can't. Something keeps her from it, something she cannot destroy. It offends her. She can't destroy the objects of her hatred, can't obtain satisfaction.

Everything's red. She hates red. She wants to annihilate everything red.

Something red comes within her reach. She pounces at it. Another red thing comes at her, something pointy. Pain flashes through her body. Then everything goes black.

* * *

Headache. The whole world is made of headaches. The bunny rubs her forehead, groaning. What on earth has happened? She can only remember how Bellwether aims her dart at Nick and...

"Nick!" Judy screams and starts up into a sitting position. Before she knows it, she finds herself in a red, furry hug.

"I'm here, Carrots."

Judy refuses to believe her ears. Her usually snarky friend sounds utterly spent. She wriggles free and looks up. The green eyes of the fox are bleary and dull.

"Oh, Nick! You look terrible, what happened? We made it, didn't we? Bellwether..."

"Bellwether has been in jail for six weeks," Nick interrupts Judy's speech. The bunny is dumbstruck.

"Six weeks? You're kidding!"

"Well, it may as well be five and a half..."

"Nick!"

The red fox yawns, but manages a weary smile. "39 days, Carrots. I've counted. And there are some others who will confirm my numbers."

He scrambles off Judy's bed and for the first time, the bunny becomes aware of a bigger radius than the few inches which had separated her from Nick.

"Mum! Dad!"

Bonnie and Stu Hopps are standing right next to the bed. As soon as Nick clears the space, they step up and pull their daughter into a group hug. And then, suddenly, there are all of her siblings, who are queuing to squeeze her as well. Their parents allow 3 seconds per child, and after about 15 minutes, all of them hugged Judy one time. Judy is totally overwhelmed. Only after Stu sent the approximately 300 bunnies out of the room, she is able to form a coherent thought.

"39 days?" she repeats, shock radiating off her. Her parents nod, while her fox friend seems to try and melt into the far corner of the room. He looks ready to disappear at a moment's notice. Either that, or keel over.

Suddenly, Judy's brain starts spouting memories. How she caught Bellwether's confession on tape, how the sheep aimed the Night Howler serum at Nick, how the fox yanked her around, a twinge in her ear... and she realizes.

Her gaze hardens. She sweeps the blanket to the side and stands up. Her legs carry her weigh, and Judy stomps towards Nick, who nervously flattens his ears.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde, you are a reckless, stubborn, irresponsible and dumb fox!" she scolds, jabbing her finger at him. As said fox doesn't protest, Judy drops the act together with her ears and presses her body against his.

"Oh, Nick!" she sobs into his chest. "If you had died... If I had killed you... How would I ever forgive myself?"

"Don't worry, Carrots." Hesitantly, Nick returns the hug. "A dumb fox doesn't die that fast."

Behind Judy, a bawling rises which drowns out the bunny's sobs by volumes.

"Pull yourself together, Stu!"

"But it's so touching!"

With that, Judy gets over her outburst for good. Shaking her head, she disengages from Nick, the scene her father makes is humiliating. But the fox only grins, the mischievous gleam has returned to his eyes.

"You bunnies, always so emotional."

He has to put up with a hit against his arm for that. This time, Judy even remains long enough in her place to witness the fox flinching.

"Ow! Seriously, Carrots? Again?" he accuses her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Judy apologizes. "I wasn't aware that foxes are of such a delicate build."

"Oh, then I'm sorry that I ascribed enough brains to you to comprehend that police training entails an increase in physical strength. How inconsiderate of me, I should have known better."

With that, Judy is plainly at loss for words. There is just no battling words with Nick.

"Sly fox."

"Dumb bunny." Nick bends his knees a little and leans forward to get down to Judy's eye level. "Say, can that wailing be switched off?" he whispers and makes a strikingly unstriking gesture towards Stu, who is still crying into his wife's shoulder. Judy shrugs.

"Unfortunately not."

"What are you two whispering about?" Bonnie asks. As quick as lightning, Nick is back to standing erect and maintaining a masterfully innocent demeanor. Judy follows half a second later.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Nick claims and Bonnie chuckles.

"Well then. The partner look suits you, by the way."

Both animals look themselves down, then each other. Judy is clad in a short-sleeved white hospital gown. Nick wears a just as white shirt, sloppily buttoned and the sleeves rolled up. The color of his pants resembles the one of Judy's fur.

The fox is speechless for a change, just like the gray bunny. What may have induced Bonnie to make that kind of comment?

Nick just shrugs, and Judy drops the matter as well. Bonnie is her mother. Mothers need not be understood.

"So..." Judy begins just when a commotion breaks out in the hallway. Then the door slams and Chief Bogo appears in the room. His mood seems to hang around somewhere deep below zero, but that's nothing new. His eyes scan the room and then stop to linger on Bonnie and Stu.

"Your children turn the whole facility upside down! Do something!"

"Oh, uh... We're really sorry!" Bonnie grabs her husband's paw and the two of them hurry out of the room. Bonnie's voice resounds all over the station as she calls her kids to order.

Chief Bogo turns to the remaining two animals and his expression softens a bit.

"How are you feeling, Hopps?"

"Just fine," Judy replies, bobbing on her heels. She wants to explain how she is filled to the brim with energy and thirst for action, but she wouldn't get there.

The Chief nods. "I see you at roll call next week," he barks in his usual tone then. "Wilde!"

"That's me."

"I know it's you!" the cape buffalo yells at the smirking fox, but then his voice becomes more business-like. "Did you consider my offer?"

"Which offer?" Judy gets a curious word in and Nick turns to her, the grin glued to his snout.

"The same offer I got from you, Carrots. Recently, I'm in great demand as a cop, I wonder what is that due to?"

"One other word, Wilde, and I'll think about it again."

To Judy's surprise, the fox actually backs down. Wordlessly, he sits down at the table and pulls a yellow paper from his pocket, together with Judy's carrot pen.

The bunny steps up to Bogo. "Sir? I don't want to be insolent, but... what exactly did you do to him?"

"I promised he won't get my recommendation. Without, he won't pass the selection procedure."

"Oh..." Judy understands the implications Chief Bogo's words carry. With Nick being a fox, the academy's staff department probably wouldn't look twice at his application. She didn't think of that, the bunny herself just slipped through the procedure because of Mayor Lionheart's Mammal Inclusion Initiative. But Nick would need a bit more to show than a snarky tongue and smallness. Sure thing the fox wouldn't be too eager to trifle with the chief. Not yet, at least.

After a few minutes, Nick is done with his application form. He hands the paper over to Bogo, the pen to Judy. The bunny beams at her friend, overflowing with anticipation.

"The training takes six months," she tells him. "That is, if you pass the exams."

"Are you kidding, Carrots? I'll be top of the class!"

Judy's smile is sweet as syrup. "And what if not?"

"Not gonna happen!" Nick smirks. "But if you insist: If not, I'll dress up as a sheep and dance around the Mystic Spring Oasis."

Judy brandishes the carrot pen and hits play. Nick's ears flatten and he gulps as a repetition of his last sentence fills the room. Judy grins mischievously.

"Deal," she states pleasantly and causes even Bogo to laugh.

"You better graduate top of the class, Wilde."

In the meantime, Nick has recovered from the shock. He shoves a paw into his pocket, with the other, he taps Judy's nose. "Very well, sly bunny. But no bet without countervalue. If I graduate valedictorian, you'll come to roll call with a floating tire, goggles and snorkel, and sing a song by Gazelle."

"You've got it!"

At this point, Nick pulls a car key from his pocket and spins it around a claw at the key ring. But wait, Nick doesn't even have...?

Judy's ears drop and the fox grins even broader, if that's possible. Nick presses the key.

" _You'll come to roll call with a floating tire, goggles and snorkel..._ "

He halts the recording and triumphantly hurls the key up into the air. Judy ponders how to snatch it from him without having her gown rucking up. Chief Bogo tries to preserve his reputation.

"Well Carrots, anything you can do, I can do better. I'm looking forward to your performance!"

"We'll see about that. You have to become top of the class first, dumb fox!"

Chief Bogo clears his throat. "Since you two are obviously brimming with vigor, I have some assignments for you."

Two heads whip around. "Assignments?" Judy and Nick ask in unison.

"But the fluff isn't discharged yet!" the fox protests.

"But Nick isn't even accepted into the academy!" the bunny joins in.

"No buts!" Bogo thunders, then straightens and gets two slips of paper from his shirt pocket which he thrusts into Judy's and Nick's paws.

The bunny turns the paper around. Weird, doesn't look official...

"These are..." She trails off in surprise.

"Concert tickets?" Nick finishes her sentence and Judy's heart jumps with happiness. She can't believe it. She holds a ticket for the next Gazelle concert in her paws!

"Welcome to the force, both of you," Bogo states with a satisfied smile which disappears just as fast as it appeared. He looks down on the small mammals with a stern expression. "You better not disappoint me. And now your assignment: Enjoy your free days as long as you can. I expect top performances!"

"Top performances in enjoying our free days? We don't need to be told twice, right Carrots?"

"You know what I mean, Wilde!" Bogo huffs, but Nick remains unimpressed. His grin is unbroken. The chief opens his mouth to say something else, as the door opens and clears the view on two exhausted rabbit parents.

"Why hide-and-seek out of all things?" Stu groans and Bonnie pats his shoulder comfortingly.

"That's how they are."

"Hmm..." Nick hums with wide eyes. "Now I know why my parents never wanted more than one kid."

"You're an only child?" Judy concludes and Nick laughs.

"Pretty much unthinkable for a bunny, right? But really, I wouldn't get along with 300 plus siblings."

"Come on, it's not that bad."

"If you say so, Carrots."

Chief Bogo clears his throat once again.

"Did you catch a cold, Chief?" Nick asks with dramatically exaggerated worry. "That's your second coughing fit now. Maybe you should take a day off yourself and pack your stuff for a trip to Sahara Squ..."

"I'm about to send _you_ packing, Wilde!" The cape buffalo has leaned forward and pats his shirt pocket, where he stowed Nick's application, meaningfully. The fox falls silent. Bogo smiles patronizingly and straightens. "Wonderful. Good day."

And the chief disappears. Silence governs the room. Judy expects Nick to make some kind of comment, but the fox is still caught in a loop of silence. It's Bonnie who breaks it.

"Was that your boss, Judy? He didn't seem like a nice person to have around."

"Oh, that's fine!" Judy waves it off. "Chief Bogo might be chronically cross, but fair."

"Fair?!" Nick demands, upset. " _Fair_ , Carrots? It only came as far as that because Chief Buffalo Butt had been blinded by his prejudice!"

"Calm down, Nick, he bettered himself." Judy sees the whole thing optimistically. The fox crosses his arms, sighing.

"Whatever you say, Carrots."

But Judy doesn't even listen. She stares at his forearm, eyes wide with shock. "Nick, what's with that scar?"

"Oh, that..." The fox lets his arms drop limply to his sides. "I tripped there."

Judy gazes at her friend, disbelief evident in her eyes, who stares back with a blank face.

"Did I bite you?"

"Carrots..."

"Where else?"

"Listen..."

But Judy wouldn't listen. " _Where else_ , Nick?"

The fox sighs and turns around. "Tail and neck. Satisfied now?"

"Neck?" Judy covers her muzzle with her paw, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Nick, I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault, Carrots." Nick turns back to the bunny. " _I_ yanked you into the pellet, it was _my_ decision. So will you stop worrying... partner."

Judy wipes her eyes and nods. She steps up and wraps her arms around the fox's body. "Partner."

Behind her, Stu's wailing starts anew.

* * *

 **There you go, people. It's done. Sorry to those who want to read more, but here is the end. I can't go on any further.**

 **Thanks to you all for staying with me, I'm feeling totally honored and MAAAN, I'm sorry I can't reply to each and every review, but it's so overwhelming and I appreciate it so much... Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

 **To ThePeacer: I never took offense, in case that's what you're worried about. I was more like cracking my joints and show that I'm determined to make something new from the well-used concept of having indeed Night Howlers in the barrel instead of blueberries. Hope I succeeded~**

 **To Clever Eagle: I guess there is that, thanks for notifying me. I still believe Judy's ears are too large for a rabbit, but my zookeeper sister says Judy's legs** **indeed** **indicate a rabbit... It's not so much about thinking of hares and rabbits as the same species, I'm totally aware they aren't. I actually thought the term bunny can refer to both rabbits and hares, seeing how the Easter Bunny is, in fact, an Easter Hare, but I guess it is just a cultural translation then. Still, Judy's ears are large... maybe she has a hare or two in her ancestry, the animals in Zootopia being evolved and all, it would totally make sense. But I'm overthinking stuff. Anyway, I changed every 'hare' to 'rabbit'**

 **So that's it. Thanks again for kindly taking the time to read my work, I hope it was worth your while~**

 **Zentauria over and out!**


End file.
